october2022 - 14

» Digital tire monitoring solutions such
as ContiConnect allow fleets to ensure
tires are properly inflated and at less risk
for failure and costly roadside repairs.
Photo: Continental
TPMS has been such a success globally now that
it's being mandated on new trucks and trailers
in countries around the world. Which begs the
obvious question: Will similar regulations come
to the United States soon as well?
wearing out the tire and potentially leading to
a safety hazard. Tires 15% under inflation also
reduce mpg by 2.5%, impacting profits. So, from
that perspective, TPMS is a proven winner for
fleets when it comes to extending tire life while
controlling operating costs. "
According to Jonathan Gravell, VP of business
development at P.S.I., the company's TireView
TPMS solution also frees up fleet yard workers
from pounding pavement walking to each and
every trailer to check the tires. Instead, they know
right where to go.
" I'm not going to go check 2,000 trailers; I'm
going to go check the 20 that I could see are in
red, and walk straight to them, " he said.
Gravell also noted TireView helped one regional
pickup and delivery fleet cut roadside calls by
70%. And with economic inflation soaring, it's
more important than ever to ensure an underinflated
tire doesn't create an emergency roadside
event. FleetNet America found that the average
event cost (without towing) for a power unit rose
by 12.9% from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, while for a
trailer it increased by 19.7%.
14 Fleet Maintenance | October 2022
Inflation intervention
Europe, long a leader in mandating safety systems
on commercial vehicles, has already taken the
lead in mandating TPMS, said Nicola ZingrafBolton,
head of digital solutions, CVS Americas,
ZF. " New European regulations began in July of
2022 that require all new truck trailers to be fitted
with TPMS, " Zingraf-Bolton explained. " However,
at ZF, we currently do not see a push for similar
regulations here in the U.S. The biggest reason
is because TPMS has gained large market share
in fleet applications. The technology is already
very common in the U.S. today. So, we really see
the market itself taking care of tire monitoring
in a way that [the] government doesn't feel any
pressure to step in and mandate the technology. "
Fred Andersky, director, government and industry
affairs, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems,
agreed with that assessment. " At this point in time,
there doesn't seem to be much interest in mandating
TPMS on Classes 7 and 8 commercial vehicles
in the U.S., " Andersky said. " I see NHTSA's current
efforts focused more on autonomous emergency
braking systems, electric vehicles, and autonomous
vehicles. "
However, Andersky cautioned, given the rapid
pace of technology today, things could change.
" As we get to more automated and autonomous
vehicle technologies, I believe TPMS has to be part
of the package of sensors and systems used on
these vehicles, " he noted. " Ensuring the vehicle is
in a safe state for driving requires that the system
know that tires are inflated along with other information
such as tread depth, wheel-bolt tightness,
brake-pad wear, and other operational factors. "
To bolster his view, Andersky pointed to
the Transportation Recall
Enhancement,
Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act,
which was passed in 2000, in order to increase
consumer safety through mandates assigned to
NHTSA. " Because the TREAD Act uses the term
'vehicle,' instead of specifying a specific class,
many folks interpret this to mean the TREAD
Act includes trucks, " Andersky said. " This may
give the agency flexibility in the future to mandate
TPMS and other systems on commercial vehicles.
But that is just speculation on my part. We haven't
heard anything about requests for NHTSA to
mandate this technology yet. "
While the Tire Industry Association has not
taken an official position on TPMS mandates,
october2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of october2022
